Legal proceedings over La Liga stadium access

Spain’s Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC – National Authority for Markets and Competition) has started legal proceedings against La Liga for prohibiting Mediaset and Atresmedia from entering football stadiums to record atmosphere during the matches.

The watchdog argues that La Liga is breaking the article 19.3 of La Ley General de Comunicación Audiovisual hindering citizens’ right to information.

Additionally, the CNMC has threatened La Liga with fines of €20,000 for each match day in the first two weeks to be increased to €30,000 per day from day 15 if Mediaset continues to be denied access to the football stadiums.

Mediaset Spain, operator of Tele 5 and Cuatro among other channels, had taken La Liga football to the competition watchdog CNMC for prohibiting its TV crews and cameras from entering football stadiums.

The group had filed a complaint and urged the CNMC to step in on the issue. Currently, after the acquisition of the TV rights from beIN Sports, Mediaset can only broadcast a 90 minute highlights package, but Mediaset would like to add more still images in their programmes with the sound recordings from the stadiums.